Connecting Through Tech – Family TechNotes

Family TechNotes is our new conversational-style letter for you, our readers, designed to further highlight family tech resources from our website and the web.  Family TechNotes can inspire you, help solve problems, and assist with parenting…tech style!  Need help with something? Let us now and we’ll cover it in a future edition of Family TechNotes!

Family TechNotes

I started WellConnectedMom.com nearly 9 years ago in August 2009.  My daughter was in first grade and my son had just started preschool, I finally got a little time on my hands.  I was active in my local Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group and enjoyed connecting with other moms.

Two years previously, the Apple iPhone was introduced.  A number of moms in my MOPS group were using them.  What struck me though, is that they used them mainly for phone calls and texting.  I knew that with all of the apps available that these moms, my friends, were only scratching the surface of what was possible with their iPhones.

A good friend of mine recommended I try my hand at blogging.  I felt it was a great way to reach families and give them tips on how technology could make their lives easier…or at least more fun.  I have been blogging ever since.

Later, two other writers joined me, Jamie Wiersma, a fellow MOPS friend, music teacher, and mother of three boys and Julie Taylor, a skillful athlete, teacher, and mother/stepmother of 5 children.

Since then, we have seen an explosion of technology and new gadgets aimed at every problem or possibility.  I visit CES (Consumer Electronics Show) every year to identify the latest trends of interest to families, the top gadgets for moms, and a new frontier of technological advancements aimed at helping to make our lives better.

I literally see thousands of products in one short week.  There are some amazing products out there that get better (and have a new version) every year.  To tell you the truth, I can barely keep up with everything is out there so I can only imagine how tough it would be for you to.  

Through the years we have found some really cool gadgets that can do awesome things, but sometimes the company doesn’t have the money or resources to get the word out.  Here are some cool things we’ve found…

Unique Gadgets That Solve Problems

TouchPoints – helps you with stress, PTSD, focus, and performance.  Helps children with ADHD, anxiety, and autism.

EyeQue Personal Vision Tracker – getting tested for eyeglass prescriptions is expensive.  Now you can analyze your own vision and order glasses online.

eero WiFi Extender – eero is a router and extender system that helps you finally cover the WiFi dead spots in your home…and it’s easy to install!

Overdrive app – can’t get to the library?  Now your local library is at your fingertips! With the free Overdrive app and your library membership card, you can borrow books in seconds and be up and reading!

MyHeritage – Curious about your family history? We have been using MyHeritage for the past 4 months and have already built up a family tree of 1800 people, stemming back to the 1400’s!

We can’t wait to share a lot more gadgets and information to make your job easier as a parent, caretaker, spouse, daughter/son, and friend.  Managing a family can be tough but we’re happy to say that there are more resources out there to help you and we’re committed to helping you find them!

We wish we could write about all the products that come across our desks or that we find through research on the web, but there will never be enough time.  So Family TechNotes will help us point you to other gadgets and ideas on the web that you should be aware of.

We look forward to continuing the conversation with you through Family TechNotes!